Proposed golf dome get thumbs up from Oswego village trustees

Plans to build a 9-hole domed golf course near Route 30 and a proposed 600-plus unit subdivision in Oswego continue to move forward.

At the Sept. 17 Oswego Village Board meeting, village trustees unanimously approved the concept plans of Canada-based Megalodome Golf to construct four 270,000 square foot golf domes that would house the 9-hole golf course along with a practice facility. An 8,000 square-foot clubhouse also is proposed.

The applicant’s website refers to the project as the world’s first indoor golf experience that replicates a real golf course. The project is proposed for 100 acres west of Route 30 and north of Rance Road.

Megalodome Golf president and general manager Bertrand Quentin noted the trees, cactuses and grass that are part of the proposed landscape would be artificial.

“Only the sand and the ponds are natural,” he said.

The property currently is unincorporated and zoned agriculture in Will County. Plans also set aside about 34 acres for potential future development and 7.5 acres for stormwater detention.

As proposed, construction of the project would begin next year after final plans are approved. Oswego Village President Ryan Kauffman was impressed by the plans.

“I think this is just so cool,” he said following a presentation on the proposal. “This is fantastic. There is nothing else in the world like this.”

The proposed golf domes would be 110 feet high.

“This will allow for full swing capacity for those big hitters who can hit it that high,” Carrie Hansen, Director of Planning and Government Services for Oswego-based Schoppe Design Associates, Inc., told trustees.

In addition, the domes would incorporate state-of-the-art climate control to maintain perfect playing conditions year-round regardless of the weather outside, Hansen said. The domes will be designed to withstand winds of up to 120 mph.

The course design is inspired by Arizona’s renowned golf courses.

“The design offers golfers a sense of escapism on a course that mimics one of the best in the world,” Hansen said.

Trustee Tom Guist said he would prefer if the domes were another color besides white. Quentin said they are looking at an exterior color that would better fit the surrounding environment.

“We’re evaluating that right now,” he said. “It would be more natural.”

The facility would be open from 6 a.m. to midnight seven days a week and is expected to attract about 290,000 customers a year. A traffic study will be done “to make sure that we are not overburdening the adjacent roadway systems,” she said.

A two-story glass clubhouse would be built between domes one and four. There are plans to possibly add a third story to the clubhouse.

“This would add event and banquet capacity, which we know is a need here in Oswego,” Hansen said.

Trustee Jennifer Jones Sinnott liked that idea along with the overall concept. She said the project would help make the area a “spectacular” entrance for people coming into the village from the east.

The clubhouse would also feature a pro shop, bar and lounge areas. It also would accommodate cloak and locker rooms and office space.

The domed golf course would be built near a proposed 656-unit subdivision. Oswego Grand Development, LLC. wants to build 125 single-family houses, 243 townhouse units and 288 apartment units as part of its plan, which also includes 32.2 acres of commercial/retail space.

At the Aug. 20 Oswego Village Board meeting, the majority of village trustees voted in favor of the concept plans. Voting “no” was village trustee Kit Kuhrt.

Kuhrt said he was concerned about the project’s density as well as its impact on traffic in the area.

Last year, Yorkville-based Whitetail Ridge Golf Club opened a 70,000-square-foot indoor golf dome just west of Orchard Road on Oswego’s west side.